Pantry Packs provides weekend food packs to students experiencing food insecurity in the Lake Washington School District. ​When kids don’t get enough to eat, they can’t concentrate and they can’t learn. Teachers tell of students excited to be at school on Mondays because they can eat there through federal programs. But these same children in the Lake Washington School District (LWSD) often go hungry on weekends or during school breaks.​
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With community donations of time, funds and kid-friendly food, volunteers come together each month to “pack the packs.” Volunteer drivers then deliver the packs to more than 43 participating schools, and each week school coordinators distribute the packs to hungry children in preschool through high school. Throughout the school year, Pantry Packs demonstrates how volunteers, schools and the community work together to help children in our area. For more information, email PantryPacks@lwsf.org.

updates

Pantry Packs is providing packs to schools. Volunteer drivers transport packs to each school, and school personnel distribute them to students on their own schedule.  Food donations have resumed. Small group packing events are still suspended due to COVID-19. Visit our Updates Page for details. LWSD is still providing free meals to children 1-18 at their many meal sites, including weekend meals. 

 ways you can help!

NOMINATE A CHILD TO receive ADDITIONAL WEEKEND FOOD!
Do you know a child who could benefit from additional weekend food? Anyone can make a nomination, and there are no applications or hardship tests to pass. Final determinations are made by the school's Pantry Packs coordinator and the child's family. Get started by:

MAKE A FOOD DONATION!

Produced pro bono by Alisa Prinos Videography.
We need kid-friendly meal and snack items! You can:
  • Donate food directly via our Amazon Wish List.
  • Organize a food drive for just one food or many from our kid-friendly food items list (please note that none of these items are perishable foods because we cannot safely store or distribute those). We have a planning checklist with more information, and our Food Drive Coordinator is available to help you organize your food drive. For more information, email FoodDrives@lwsf.org.
  • However you choose to help, enhance your promotional posts with this video spot produced pro bono by Alisa Prinos Videography! [use this video link to share].

HELP PACK THE PACKS!

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Girl Scout volunteering at a Packing Party. (Young Reflections Photography, 2016).
Join other volunteers in assembling Pantry Packs, or at a prepping event to unpack food. Bring a friend. Bring your middle and high schoolers for community service hours. Bring a PTA/PTSA. Bring a scout troop. Bring a school honors club.

Student volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by a participating adult, and all volunteers must sign up online to participate.

Check the Packing & Prep Event Instructions to sign up; note that due to Covid restrictions, we're limited in the number of volunteers per packing party (5), and these opportunities fill up quickly.​

​Submit the Volunteer Notification Form to be notified of future volunteer opportunities as they arise.

donate funds for bulk food purchases!
We welcome the donation of funds to purchase the food we need at the best possible price. Remember that your donations may be matched by your employer. And consider making a recurring donation...because hunger is recurring!
  • Each $6 per month buys a single pack of food for a LWSD student.
  • $24 per month sponsors a single student’s monthly supply of packs.

ways to donate:

  • click the donation button to make an electronic donation.
  • mail a check written to "LWSF-Pantry Packs" to:
Lake Washington Schools Foundation
​PO Box 83, Redmond, WA 98073

DONATE food from our amazon wish list!
Simply order the food items you wish to donate and your order will be shipped directly to Lake Washington Schools Foundation and designated for Pantry Pack’s use! Some items even have an optional “subscribe and save” option to set a recurring donation. Remember to include your name and email address in the "note" so that we can properly record your donation and issue you a receipt.

ADDITIONAL PANTRY PACKS RESOURCES:

Note: Pantry Packs are packed in bulk and are not checked for allergens.